March 11, 2021: The California Geological Survey issues new Tsunami Hazard Area Maps for Del Norte and Mendocino counties By Rick Wilson, California Geological Survey (CGS) Many of my tsunami and non-tsunami colleagues can remember what they were doing on March 11, 2011, the day the magnitude 9 Tohoku-Oki earthquake struck offshore of Japan, unleashing…
Celebrating Our Engineers for #EngineersWeek, February 22-26
DOC celebrates the engineers on staff for #EngineersWeek. We have 284 engineers on our roster throughout four divisions. Let’s meet a few of them.
San Fernando ’71: the Earthquake That Made Us Safer
The San Fernando Earthquake changed how the state approached earthquake hazards,” said Dr. Steve Bohlen, Acting State Geologist of California and head of the California Geological Survey. “There was an increased realization that the state had to do something to limit the damage of these events.”
Q&A with California Geological Survey Librarian Amy Loseth for #LibraryShelfieDay
Most folks don’t know that the Department of Conservation is home to the California Geological Survey library–full of geologic resources, maps, and even rare books dating back to the 1600s! The library, located at 801 K Street, in Downtown Sacramento (across from the Sacramento Public Library) is usually open to the public. With COVID-19 restrictions…
Department of Conservation Announces New Grants for Watershed Health
Department of Conservation’s Division of Land Resource Protection (DLRP) awarded $2 million in grants for watershed restoration and agricultural land conservation projects. Each grant went to local Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) in Marin, Sonoma, Kings, and Ventura counties. “These grants not only support important local projects, but also advance some of Governor Newsom’s key objectives: conserving working…
A Bat Week Special Interview with an Environmental Scientist and Wildlife Biologist
Welcome to Bat Week! Bat Week is an international and annual celebration to bring awareness to bat conservation – a significant issue for our Division of Mine Reclamation (DMR). Around the world, bats are vital to our ecosystems. They pollinate flowers, eat insects, and even spread seeds. In California, there are 25 native species of bats, and many…
Earth Science Week Day 3 — Fossil Day
It’s Earth Science Week (October 12-16) Continuing on our theme of Earth Science Week, today we are talking about the California State Fossil! Wednesday: October 14: FOSSIL DAY Did you know that California’s official state fossil is the Sabertoothed Cat? How cool is that?! We’ve created some fun facts to help you get to know…
Earth Science Week Day 2 — Earth Observation Day
How the Department of Conservation uses geospatial technology to map, analyze, and observe the Earth’s surface.
It’s Minerals Day — October 12
California Geological Survey geologists map rare earth minerals in the Mojave National Preserve.
CGS Geologists Assess Multiple Fire Burn Areas for Landslide Potential: 10-1-20 Update
Wildfires are a disaster that can spawn yet another disaster. Fire eliminates ground covering on slopes, exposing the soil underneath and making it more susceptible to debris flows. Such events can be catastrophic, as was the case in Montecito (Santa Barbara County) in 2018. David Longstreth, senior engineering geologist in California Geological Survey’s (CGS) Forest and Watershed Geology program, is one…